Introduction

The XRP (Experiential Robotics Platform) [beta], started by WPI and DEKA Research & Development Corp., aims to level the STEM playing field globally and create a future generation of STEM innovators and technology leaders.

The robot kits you received are designed to operate autonomously and perform basic tasks. Its simple, tool-free assembly means robots can be built quickly, and replacement parts can be easily 3-D printed. As part of this platform, WPI will provide virtual support through online courses and will guide students and teachers through the new system, including the ability to scale up using the same hardware with free software updates.

The XRP platform is part of WPI’s global STEM education initiative, which will bring inspiration and possibility to STEM education in ways that make it available to all.

Two robots in one

The XRP can be used for two different applications:

A STEM learning platform using Python or Blockly with custom tools designed to learn and experiment with robotics. Included is a curriculum to help learn about robotics and programming. This use of the XRP is described in this document.
A robot to introduce new FRC teams and team members to WPILib programming with the same tools, languages, and libraries used in developing competition robots. To learn about using the XRP for the FIRST Robotics Competition, you should refer to the standard WPILib documentation.

Software Tools

There are several software tools available to the programmer for the XRP. Some are available, especially for the XRP and other general-purpose tools that may also work with the XRP.

Programming Languages

The XRP team supports two programming languages for the XRP:

Blockly: A graphical programming system based on Scratch to make it easier to start codingyour robot without the need to the syntax of Python. Internally, a Blockly program is translated to Python and saved on the robot. Users can even see the generated Python code to help them learn to use the language themselves.
Python: An object-oriented text-based programming language used throughout industry and taught in many classrooms.

Other languages include C and C++. There may be other languages that can also work with the RP2040 microprocessor in the XRP.

XRPCode

The recommended programming tool for the XRP is XRPCode. It is a web-based single tool designed specifically for the XRP to support programming in either Python or Blockly. It also can check and update firmware and library versions on the robot as new software releases become available. XRPCode is a web-based programming system that operates inside the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers, so users will always be running the most recent version of the tool.

XRPLib

XRPLib is a Python-based programming library that provides classes and functions to make it easy to use all the features of the XRP Robot. XRPLib is completely open source, so users can download the software to see how it works. We also encourage community involvement through pull requests to the library. However, we recommend contacting us before spending too much time to ensure that your ideas are compatible with our plans and development for XRPLib.

Here are some primary features of the XRP:

The default drive function to control speed, direction, and power applied to the two motors. It can handle driving and turning, with and without sensors such as the IMU, for making accurate point turns.
The sensors on the robot, such as the motor encoders, rangefinder, reflectance sensor, and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), which can get the robot heading and accelerations as it is driving.
The WiFi connection so that programs can create a web server on the robot that can be used to display a dashboard on a connected phone, tablet, or computer. It is designed for displaying program status, driving controls for teleoperation, and buttons to run user functions when pressed for more control of user robot programs.
Utility functions for sensing the user buttons, operating the LED, and robot program timing
Several small sample programs to help illustrate how the various components are used to operate.

Other tools and languages

In addition to the supplied languages for the robot, users can program the robot using other standard tools such as C, C++ and WPILib using various IDEs like the Arduino IDE and Visual Studio Code. VS Code has several plugins specially designed to support Python programming and the Raspberry Pi Pico, which is the hardware that powers the XRP.

Where to find the tools

XRPCode IDE: https://xrpcode.wpi.edu/

XRP API Documentation: https://open-stem.github.io/XRP_MicroPython/index.html

XRP Curriculum: https://introtoroboticsv2.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Getting help

We have set up a Discourse server where you can get help from our team as well as members of the community using XRP robots.